Credo Buffa wrote:Seriously, any man in Regency garb is going to get my attention, but when he's already devastatingly lovely and talented and SCOTTISH and plays the roll of a scoundrel-turned-hopelessly-in-love-willing-to-do-anything romantic (from Limerick, no less. . . ha ha!), what can a girl do but swoon?

I'm almost afraid to go see it...Edward looks like this at me when I go on about James McDreamy--

"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affections and the Truth of Imagination."

I think it's the mere idea that a man would care enough what he looked like to wear a green velvet coat (as Mr. McAvoy's character does in the film. . . the height of Regency fashion ), a clean white shirt, maybe comb his hair. . . and then have that spread across an entire population. I feel my knees getting weak just thinking about it.

The whole of 19th century fashion was very good to men, though. It did, after all, give us the three-piece suit and tie. Before that, menswear was too frilly and effeminate; afterward, too careless. As a woman who loves it when a man bothers to dress well, Regency fashion for men represents a perfect marriage of masculinity and clean, pressed style that I think all women wish would come back and save us from "torn-jeans-and-stained-t-shirtdom."

You're right about the Regency dress - that was the height of men's fashion in recent modern history.
The pre-French Revolution era was unbelievably effeminite with powdered wigs and frilly shirts and white lead painted faces euughhh.

What came after was a complete reverse. Damn those Victorians and their drab prim and proper suits and ties ruining everything.

I would love to see that dandyish Regency style come back in fashion for guys.

If I could find stuff like that and wear it and not get beaten up or laughed at I would wear it - you've all seen my sans-culotte coat

I'm sick of wearing jeans and t-shirts - modern men's fashion seems to have died in the 60s, certainly the horrifying 70s.

Although I heartily agree with the idea that men's fashions in the 19th century Regency period were pretty dashing...a man can still look tremendous in a pair of khakis and an untucked, white t-shirt with bare feet...really.

Let's face it, ladies. It's all about the hair, countenance, and expressions that help make the man, as it were. I mean, Beethoven wore Regency style collars and coats--but that hair!

Seriously--I think it's the shirt and coat that do it--that upturned collar cupping the neckerchief--it's that stark contrast of the dark coat and the white shirt--I mean, those colors and styles look good on many body types...tailors were on to that, I think.

"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affections and the Truth of Imagination."

dks wrote:Seriously--I think it's the shirt and coat that do it--that upturned collar cupping the neckerchief--it's that stark contrast of the dark coat and the white shirt--I mean, those colors and styles look good on many body types...tailors were on to that, I think.

dks wrote:Seriously--I think it's the shirt and coat that do it--that upturned collar cupping the neckerchief--it's that stark contrast of the dark coat and the white shirt--I mean, those colors and styles look good on many body types...tailors were on to that, I think.

Oh no, honey, it is the breeches that do it. Nice, tight breeches!

Yes, and those knee socks!!

"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affections and the Truth of Imagination."

Credo Buffa wrote:The whole of 19th century fashion was very good to men, though. It did, after all, give us the three-piece suit and tie. Before that, menswear was too frilly and effeminate; afterward, too careless. As a woman who loves it when a man bothers to dress well, Regency fashion for men represents a perfect marriage of masculinity and clean, pressed style that I think all women wish would come back and save us from "torn-jeans-and-stained-t-shirtdom."

I agree that the Regency was a great era for men's fashion. I'm guessing that most guys didn't really find the clothing (at least the neckerchief and cravat) all that comfotable, though. Keats himself mentions with some cynicism how (after meeting Fanny Brawne) he was persuaded to wear his neckerchief "up to his eyes" when for some months before he went around with a bare neck "ala Byron".

Malia wrote:I'm guessing that most guys didn't really find the clothing (at least the neckerchief and cravat) all that comfotable, though. Keats himself mentions with some cynicism how (after meeting Fanny Brawne) he was persuaded to wear his neckerchief "up to his eyes" when for some months before he went around with a bare neck "ala Byron".

Well hey, they could have been all done up in corsets like the poor women! They could complain all they want, but at least they could breathe.

But really, clothes back in the day were pretty restrictive for everyone. For women the restrictiveness is pretty obvious, but for men, I've heard that the shoulders of coats were sewn to be very tight, basically forcing good posture with shoulders pulled back. And it must have been unbearable having to wear heavy wool or velvet and those high necks in hot summer weather! Surely it was pretty difficult for anyone to be terribly comfortable--men or women--in the clothes of yesteryear, at least not by our standards.

At the risk of sounding incredibly girly (though it's probably too late for that), "breeches" and knee socks are still out there, ladies, in the form of. . . baseball uniforms! Now don't get me wrong, I love baseball for the sport and the atmosphere and the talent, but every so often when you've got a player out there on the field in the old-fashioned knee-length trousers and high socks, my heart can't help but turn a little somersault.